The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson
By Mark Twain (1835-1910)

In one of his later novels, the master storyteller spins a

tale of two children switched at infancy. A slave takes on

the identity of master and heir while the rightful heir is

condemned to live the life of a slave. Twain uses this

vehicle to explore themes of nature vs. nurture, racial

bigotry and moral relativism. The case of mistaken

identity is a theme that Twain explored also in THE

PRINCE AND THE PAUPER; in THE TRAGEDY OF

PUDD’NHEAD WILSON he turns the theme into a well-crafted detective story. It
is unfortunate that this is one of Twain’s lesser known works as it is one of his
most enjoyable reads.

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Read by Michael Yard; total running time: 07:06:37.

This recording is in the public domain and may be reproduced, distributed, or modified without permission.
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Cover image by Paul Klee (1915). Author picture taken from Appleton’s Journal (7/4/1874). Copyright expired in
US, Canada, EU and all countries with author’s life +70 yrs laws. Cover design by Janette Brown. This design is
in the public domain.

Lew

The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson

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